Chapter 15 - Finding Claire
Michael decided to search.
His choice.
Not mine.
Not Roland’s.
An investigator used lawful public records.
Marriage indexes.
Property records.
Professional licenses.
No illegal databases.
Claire had changed her surname twice.
Claire Hayes became Claire Nolan after a brief marriage in her twenties.
Then Claire Mercer after remarrying.
She was fifty-five.
Living outside Lexington, Kentucky.
Horse country.
Of course.
She worked part-time managing a therapeutic riding program.
No criminal record.
No cult.
No hidden mansion.
No dramatic alternate identity.
She had a husband named David Mercer.
Retired high-school science teacher.
One adult daughter.
Michael had a half-sister.
That fact alone made him sit down.
“Does Claire know we found her?”
“Not yet,” the investigator said.
Michael looked at me.
I did not advise.
Good.
He said:
“Send a letter through her attorney if she has one. Otherwise certified mail. No visit.”
There.
Respect.
The first letter was returned unopened.
Not because address wrong.
Because Claire refused it.
Michael looked devastated.
“She doesn’t want me.”
I answered carefully.
“She may not want contact yet.”
Different.
He hated the distinction.
May you like
Still true.
────────────────────
